Best Flash Compression
by Lewis Hughes
on
Oct 21, 2009 at 2:55:41 pm
Hi
We are using Episode to compress movs to flv files ready for streaming.
the resolution is great but any movement seems to pixelate the image. does anyone have some advice on the best settings to achieve a good flv file for streaming?
Re: Best Flash Compression by Craig Seeman on Oct 21, 2009 at 4:03:44 pm
It's hard to know what to suggest without knowing/seeing the source and knowing what settings you've used. Data rate too low? Issue with B frames? Inherent limitations of using CBR codec for live streaming (as opposed to progressive download) which does not allow increase in data rate for motion?
You need to tell us (and show us) so we can analyze.
We need to know what your target (goal) is. Do you need live streaming or progressive download and what the resources the typical viewer might have? Do you have a reason for choosing flv over f4v which may handle the file better?
Re: Best Flash Compression by Lewis Hughes on Oct 21, 2009 at 4:13:15 pm
The source file is a PAL HDV mov 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Basically we need to deliver these files to clients who have a slow internet connection. we have previously used wmv but we have found some of our clients don't have the required plug in and are unsure how to do this. Flash seems to work for them in countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and all of the Caribbean.
it needs to be youtube size - one of episode preset is 480 x 360 which is neither a 4x3 or 16x9 image. we have since changed it to 480 x 270.
we need to do live streaming as our clients are impatient and won't wait for the video to fully load before viewing.
Re: Best Flash Compression by Craig Seeman on Oct 21, 2009 at 4:56:52 pm
Since you have some mistaken assumptions I'm assuming you're making many others as well.
[Lewis Hughes]"it needs to be youtube size - one of episode preset is 480 x 360 which is neither a 4x3 or 16x9 image. we have since changed it to 480 x 270. " 480x360 is 4:3 square pixels. 480x270 is 16:9 square pixels.
[Lewis Hughes]"we have previously used wmv but we have found some of our clients don't have the required plug in and are unsure how to do this." On a Windows computer there's nothing to "plug in." Apparently they have a lot of Mac users in Uganda (which I think would be odd) so there's a misassumption going on here. Flip4Mac would be the Mac WMV plugin.
[Lewis Hughes]" Flash seems to work for them in countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and all of the Caribbean. " Flash plug-in can determine the type of Flash - Flash 7 Spark, Flash 8 VP6 (through early Flash 9), Flash 9 (late) H.264 (through Flash 10 current.
Sorry but you gotta know this or you're making a shot in the dark. You can guess Flash 8 and use VP6 but it's only a guess.
[Lewis Hughes]"we need to do live streaming as our clients are impatient and won't wait for the video to fully load before viewing. " Wrong assumption here too. Progressive download starts after a few seconds. Live streaming involves a Flash Streaming Server from Adobe, Wowza or Red5.
[Lewis Hughes]"slow internet connection." Slow is a relative term. You need a number. 56k Dial up, 256k DSL, 768 DSL (which is slow in my opinion). Without a number or average or estimate "slow" doesn't have any meaning except maybe not CableModem or FIOS.
Sorry but clearly there's some serious lack of understanding and if "they" can't figure it out they need to pay an consultant to do that. Otherwise you can serious miss an unidentified target and are in for redoing everything.
Nearly every bit of information you mention looks like information is lacking or misassumptions on the technical front. If you want to offer the best encode for the target you must KNOW the target. You can't hit something when you don't know.
